1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to coaxial cable end connectors of the type employed in the cable television industry.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conventional coaxial cable typically consists of a centrally located inner electrical conductor surrounded by and spaced inwardly from an outer cylindrical electrical conductor. The inner and outer conductors are separated by a dielectric insulating sleeve, and the outer conductor is encased within a protective dielectric jacket. The outer conductor can comprise a sheath of fine braided metallic strands, a metallic foil, or multiple layer combinations of either or both.
Conventional coaxial cable end connectors typically include an inner cylindrical post adapted to be inserted into a suitably prepared end of the cable between the dielectric insulating sleeve and the outer conductor, an end portion of the latter having been exposed and folded back over the outer dielectric jacket. The inner conductor and the dielectric insulating sleeve thus comprise a central core portion of the cable received axially in the inner post, whereas the outer conductor and dielectric jacket comprise an annular outer portion of the cable surrounding the inner post.
The conventional coaxial cable end connector further includes an outer component designed to coact with the inner post in securely and sealingly clamping the annular outer portion of the cable therebetween. In "crimp type" end connectors, the outer component comprises a sleeve fixed in relation to and designed to be deformed radially inwardly towards the inner post. Typical examples of crimp type end connectors are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,129 (Szegda) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,943 (Tarrant).
In the so-called "radial compression type" end connectors, the outer component comprises a substantially non-deformable sleeve adapted to be shifted axially with respect to the inner post into a clamped position coacting with the inner post to clamp the prepared cable end therebetween. Typical examples of radial compression type connectors are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,647 (Schroder); U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,418 (Spinner); U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,330 (Shirey); U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,453 (Kilry et al); U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,577 (Szegda); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,606 (Yeh Ming-Hwa).
These radial compression type end connectors suffer from a common disadvantage in that prior to being mounted on the cable ends, the outer sleeve components are detached and separate from the inner posts. As such, the outer sleeve components are prone to being dropped or otherwise becoming misplaced or lost, particularly, as is often the case, when an installation is being made outdoors under less than ideal weather conditions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,675 (Samchisen), an attempt has been made at addressing this problem by detachably interconnecting the connector body and outer sleeve component in a parallel side-by-side relationship. This facilitates pre-installation handling and storage. However, during installation, the outer sleeve component must still be detached from the connector body and threaded onto the cable as a separate element. Thus, mishandling or loss of the outer sleeve component remains a serious problem during the critical installation phase.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,864 (Birch et al) discloses a radial compression type end connector with an integral outer sleeve component. Here, however, the outer sleeve component is shifted into its clamped position as a result of the connector being threaded onto an equipment port or the like. Prior to that time, the end connector is only loosely assembled on and is thus prone to being dislodged from the cable end. This again creates problems for the installer.
In light of the foregoing, an objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved radial compression type end connector wherein the outer sleeve component remains at all times integrally connected to the inner post, both prior to and during installation.
A companion objective of the present invention is the provision of an integrally assembled radial compression type end connector wherein the outer sleeve component is shiftable to a clamped position prior to and independently of the installation of the end connector on an equipment port or other like system component.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a radial compression type end connector having improved holding power and pull resistance.